36 
und dem Direktor des Museums, Herrn Prof. Dr. Brauer, meinen auf- 
richtigen Dank für ihr gütiges Entgegenkommen auszusprechen; be- 
sonders bin ich den beiden Herren für ihre Erlaubnis sehr verpflichtet, 
die reiche Bibliothek des Zoologischen Instituts und die gleichfalls 
reichen Aufstellungen des Museums frei zu benutzen, höchst wesentliche 
Hilfsmittel für die Anfertigung meiner vorliegenden Arbeit, welche eine 
der von Japan halbfertig mitgebrachten ist. Auch bin ich zu beson- 
derem Dank dem Abteilungsvorsteher, Herrn Dr. Berndt, für seine 
Freundlichkeit verpflichtet, durch dessen Bemühung ich die für meine 
Arbeit erforderlichen Hilfsmittel erhielt. 
er 
5. Preliminary Note on the Bright Spots of the Antheraean Larvae. 
By Yoshimaro Tanaka. 
(Ass. Prof. of Zoology, Imperial University, Sapporo.) 
eingeg. 1. August 1913. 
It is a well known fact that the larvae of the Japanese Oaksilk- 
worm (Antheraea yamamai) and the larvae of the Chinese Oaksilkworm 
(A. pernyi) are provided on their body-surface with peculiar spots of 
bright metallic lustre. These spots will conveniently be called the » bright 
spots«. 
According to the positions in which they are found, the spots are 
grouped into two series: the dorsal and lateral. The spots of the dor- 
sal series are found on the outer side of the subdorsal tubercles, and 
those of the lateral series are situated between the stigmata and the 
supraspiracular tubercles. The dorsal spots are, as a rule, circular or 
ellipsoidal in outline, whereas the usual form of the lateral ones is some- 
what triangular. The spots of either series vary in size from one which 
is perceptible only with difficulty by the naked eye, to a considerable 
dimension attaining several mm. in diameter. The dorsal spots are ge- 
nerally smaller than the lateral. 
The spots in question are not of constant occurrence; in some in- 
dividuals there is found a considerable number of well developed spots, 
and in others only a few of small ones, while in certain individuals are 
entirely destitute of the structure. In their relation to the respective 
body-segments, the spots are likewise variable. The lateral spots occur 
mostly on the fifth and sixth segments, and the dorsal spots are found 
in majority of cases on the fourth and fifth. In the case of abundant. 
occurrence, however, the lateral series may be extended from the fourth 
to the ninth, and the dorsal spots are distributed from the second to the 
tenth. In the other words, the lateral spots are never met with on the 
segments in front of the fourth and on those behind the tenth, and the 
